By Fatmata Jengbe
Receiving commendations from relevant stakeholders, the National Telecommunication Commission (NATCOM) has been rated high so far for topping the revenue generation chart for Government from January to September, 2019.
This was disclosed at the ongoing budget hearing for Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for the financial year 2020 held at Miatta Conference Hall, Youyi Building Freetown. NATCOM is said to have generated one hundred and twenty-eight billion, nine hundred and thirty-three million, eight hundred and thirteen thousand, one hundred and forty-nine Leones (Le128,933,813,149).
Making the presentation before the committee, NATCOM’s Director General, Maxwell Hinga Massaquoi said the revenue was generated from the under-mentioned revenue streams including FM Licenses, GSM Licenses, international gateway, VSAT, TV Licenses, VHF Radio, ISP, 4G and 3G Licenses, royalties, fines, among others. He also registered the Commission’s commitment to increase revenue generation for the State with a projection of two hundred and ninety-seven billion, two hundred and ten million, three hundred and sixty-seven thousand and sixty-two Leones (Le297,210,367,067) in 2020 financial year.
Analyzing the Commission’s budget proposal for the financial year 2020 which received endorsement by the State and Non-State actors, the Director General made a case persuasively to the panel for timely allocation of funds in order to ensure effective and efficient monitoring and regulation of the telecommunications sector for greater revenue generation for the State.
He said the mission of NATCOM is to foster a progressive and an enabling environment for the development of the telecommunications sector in Sierra Leone with a vision to make it the leading telecommunications authority in sub-Sahara Africa.
According to him, one of the key challenges facing the Commission is access to finance to carry out its day to day operations and inadequate office space at the Commission’s headquarters.
Additionally, he said, some service providers fail to pay the annual regulatory fees coupled with the failure of some operators to comply with regulations as well as the need for advanced tolls to detect and prevent simbox and other ICT fraud and manage the spectrum and other resources effectively.
